Environmental+Factors

The Environment
 * Health and safety assets
 * T he Organic Law on the Environment
 * Article 1 of chapter 1 states that “The present Law is to establish in the development policy of the Nation the guiding principles for the preservation, defense, and improvement of the environment for the quality of life.”
 *  Article 3 of chapter 1 states that some of the goals of this law include “t he creation, protection, conservation and improvement of national parks, forest reserves, natural monuments, protected zones, wilderness reserves, watersheds, hydraulic national reserves, refuges, sanctuaries and wildlife reserves, recreation parks or open field intensive green areas in urban centers or other areas subject to any special arrangements for the benefit of ecological balance and collective welfare”
 * Article 3 of chapter 1 states that some of the goals of this law include the need to improve
 * “t he control, reduction or elimination of factors, processes or components of the environment that are or may cause harm to human life and other beings”
 * “The promotion and dissemination of studies and research concerning the environment”
 * “The promotion of public and private initiatives that encourage citizen participation in environment-related problems”
 *  Source: //Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica de ambiente//
 * The Organic Law for the Provision of Drinking Water and Sanitation
 * This law allows the state to “Participate in providing technical, administrative and financial assistance to municipalities, metropolitan districts, association of municipalities, cooperatives, community organizations and neighborhood groups organized in the aspects of the operation, maintenance, expansion, management and marketing of water systems supply and sanitation”
 * The municipalities have the responsibility to “regulate the provision of potable water and sanitation by the respective ordinance, based on this Act and the guidelines to be established by the National Superintendency of Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation”
 * Source: //Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica para la prestacion do los servicios de agua portable y de saneamiento//
 * The Health Law
 * **“Article 3. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The health services will ensure the protection of health of everyone in the country and operate in accordance with the following principles: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Principle of Universality: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Everyone has the right to access and receive health services without discrimination of any kind. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Principle of Participation: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Citizens individually or in community organizations must preserve their health, participate in programming services and sanitation promotion and management and financing of health facilities through voluntary contributions. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Principle of Complementarity: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> The national land agencies, state and municipal as well as different levels of care will complement each other, according to the scientific, technological, financial and administrative systems. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Quality Principle: **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> In medical care facilities will develop control mechanisms to ensure that users have the quality in the provision of services, which shall observe standards of integrity, customization, continuity, adequacy, timeliness and relevance to the rules, administrative procedures and practices.”
 * " <span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Chapter II** **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Sanitation ****<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Article 27. **<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> sanitation services will undertake the actions aimed at achieving conservation and recovery of environmental health conditions. The Health Ministry will act in coordination with the agencies of the National Health Council for the purpose of ensuring: The application of control measures and elimination of vectors, reservoirs and other epidemiological factors, as well as pathogens biological, chemical, radioactive, metaxenic diseases and other endemic diseases in urban and rural areas. The waste management and solid and liquid waste, organic waste from hospitals and clinics, landfills, radioactive materials and cemeteries.The monitoring and control air pollution. The treatment of water for human consumption, sewage and water beaches, spas and swimming pools. The control of endemic diseases and epidemics. The health inspection of buildings in relation to its construction, repair, use and livability."
 * " <span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Article 34.** health care facilities are hospitals, outpatient clinics and public and private suitably qualified and equipped with the resources required to accomplish the tasks specified in laws and regulations."
 * Source: //Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica de salud//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">VITALIS is a non-governmental, non-profit organization created in 2000 that “favors only those projects that benefit the public and addresses, encourages or promotes environmentally friendly solutions to those problems related to the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources or the ignorance of their importance to human populations, among other aspects" (//Quienes Somos//). Its mission is to “contribut to the development of knowledge, values, and responsible behaviors constistent with environmental conservation and sustainable development, with emphasis on legislation, education, and communication.”
 * VITALIS has nine main agendas and several activities for each
 * **Information and Communications**
 * Design and development of informative and/or educational environmental campaigns
 * Environmental pages in different national mass media
 * Columns in national and international magazines
 * Web site (www.vitalis.net)
 * Radio program (Conciencia Global)
 * Production and direction of international TV programs
 * Annual national environmental report: ‘Environmental Balance in Venezuela
 * Annual environmental calendars and planners
 * **Environmental Education and Citizenship**
 * Raising of environmental awareness among rural and urban communities in areas of high biodiversity
 * Citizens of the World
 * Creating key capacity groups involved in situations of environmental conflict
 * Strengthening Botanic Garden and Zoo Management.
 * Specialized training in environmental science for teachers, municipal employees and workers in specified areas
 * Organization and coordination of specialized workshops, seminars and courses
 * **Environmental Law and Policies**
 * Formulation and analysis of legal instruments: resolutions, laws and regulations
 * Analysis of the legal framework in strategic development areas
 * Development of environmental policies
 * Specialized legal assessments in environmental matters
 * Environmental Gazette on the Web
 * Electronic Forum: Project of the Organic Law for the Conservation of the Environment and Solid Waste and Domestic Waste.
 * **Eco-efficiency, Clean Production and Sustainable Consumption.**
 * Supporting companies in the design and start-up of initiatives to achieve competitive advantage directed towards greater production of materials and energy with minimal environmental impact
 * Environmental awareness among employees and their communities in relation to eco-efficient environmental best practices.
 * Promotion of the achievements and benefits of clean and responsible production in the business sector
 * Network of a Clean Production within the countries of the Convention Andrés Bello (Founding member of Venezuelan Chapter)
 * Waste management and the national recycling program
 * **Community Development**
 * Development of environmentally friendly values and behavior
 * Environmental decision making and conflict resolution
 * Community participation in watershed management
 * **Environmental Goods and Services**
 * Planning and management of protected areas
 * Enhancing our Heritage Project’ for the conservation of historical sites together with UNESCO, INPARQUES, indigenous communities and UICN
 * Integrated Water Resource Management (Jointly with GWP and AVEAGUA)
 * Economic valuation of natural resources and environmental services
 * Support in specific integrated environmental assessments
 * Source: //Vitalis organizational profile, English summary//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">__References:__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">MiPunto.com. (2000//). Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica de ambiente//. Retrieved September 13, 2011, from [].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">MiPunto.com. (2000). //Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica de salud//. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from [].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">MiPunto.com. (2000). //Leyes de Venezuela: ley organica para la prestacion do los servicios de agua portable y de saneamiento//. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from [].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Vitalis. (2011). //Quienes somos//. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from [].

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">Vitalis. (2007//). Vitalis organizational profile, English summary//. Retrieved September 16, 2011, from [].